Greek Orzo Salad

My plan for book club was to make one of my Mom's pies. I got the recipe and was all ready to go...until I couldn't find the main ingredient in the grocery store. So there I was, standing in D'Ag at 8:45 PM the night before, no idea what I was going to make.

I was struck by inspiration when I looked in the deli case and saw some pre-made food items. Of course, those pasta and potato salads had been sitting out all day and by late evening did not look all that appetizing. I figured I could do a better version so I gathered some Greek-ish ingredients and went home. 

I woke up a little early the next morning to put everything together. This salad doesn't require much so the whole thing can be done in about 20 minutes. First, start cooking your orzo (about 3/4 lb). While that's going, chop your vegetables. I used one package of grape tomatoes (halved), one cucumber (chopped), 1/2 cup chopped scallions, and 1/2 cup dill. Once the orzo is done, mix it all (minus the cucumber) together and immediately toss in some fresh spinach so the heat wilts it a bit. Next, mix in 1/2 cup olive oil and the juice of one lemon. Once it all cools down a bit, add in the cucumber and one package of crumbled feta. You don't want to add these when it's piping hot because then the feta could melt too much and the cucumber will lose it's great crunch. Stick the whole thing in the fridge and you're ready for potluck time. This dish is perfect cold or room temp so it holds up great to bring to a gathering.